Delhi riots: Police tells HC plea for giving videos of protests against CAA not maintainable

The city police has told the Delhi High Court that a plea moved by JNU student and Pinjra Tod activist Devangana Kalita, accused in a case related to northeast Delhi riots, seeking copies of videos of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was not maintainable.

The issue regarding maintainability of the plea was raised before Justice Suresh K Kait by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police.

”Let the respondent (police) file an affidavit on the maintainability aspect within a week, with advance copy furnished to the other side. Response thereto, if any, be filed within five days thereafter,” the court said and listed the matter for further hearing on February 4.

Kalita, in her plea filed through advocates Adit S Pujari, Tusharika Mattoo and Kunal Negi, has sought copies of videos of protests against the CAA and other electronic data available with the police in the matter that were filed along with the charge sheet in the case.

While Kalita is in judicial custody in the case under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, she has been granted bail in the case related to the riots in Jaffarabad area.

Earlier, before the trial court, Kalita’s counsel had sought copies of a pen drive containing video clips between February 22, 2020 and February 26, 2020; DVD containing video clips of incident on February 25, 2020 and CD containing photographs and video clips of the accused; DVD containing video clips of protests of January 5, 2020 and DVD containing video clips under Jaffarabad metro station between February 22, 2020 and February 23, 2020.

Communal violence had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 last year after clashes between the citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.